5533 is celebrating its 5th birthday this weekend by hosting m-est, another artist initiative, also the first event of the year. Within the framework of m-est's issue on "public space", artist Merve Ünsal will make a selection of videos from UbuWeb. The screening will last for approximately 60 minutes, after which the conversation will be accompanied by tea and a birthday cake.

Görsel/Image: Martha Rosler, A Simple Case For Torture, or How To Sleep at Night, 1983.

What are the expectations from art initiatives, and how are they changing? Initiatives are often defined as ‘independent’, ‘small-scale’, ‘flexible’, ‘participatory’, ‘experimental’, ‘modest’, ‘nonprofit’, and are distinguished from institutionalized and/or commercial models. But what does the binary—the initiative versus the institution—serve? Could we imagine production and self-organization in the visual arts beyond this dichotomy? It is these questions that started my conversation with Nancy and Volkan—the founders of 5533.

I chose to redirect their invitation to think about the programming of 5533 this year, and invited three people—Merve (Ünsal), Özden (Demir) ve Ali (Taptık)—who are eager and familiar to discuss each other’s work. Wearing different hats, as artist, photographer, editor, architect, architectural historian, filmmaker, etc., these three people will determine what comes next at 5533. Departing from the physical space as the framing device, they will be the guest and the host at the same time.

Merve, Özden and Ali will organize events, starting with their own urgencies—not following a common theme or a fixed duration. And meanwhile, we hope to share open-ended questions with you throughout the year: how is the idea of ‘experimentation’ becoming a trope in institutionalized and/or entrepreneurial language? What are our own institutionalized behaviors? Do we want to break free, or to simply embrace them? And how in what context do we believe in the transformative power of initiatives, if at all?

Such a structure requires a common desire to talk and speculate about the relationships between individuals, groups, and institutions. In my opinion, this small gesture will lead us to a bigger discussion—what makes the initiative, the institution, and even the collection and the archive become public? The static idea of ‘cultural heritage’ promoted by UNESCO is clearly not the answer. Rather, this discussion is related to how our agencies change as producers, viewers, and participants. How do initiatives, institutions, and museums change us, and how do we transform them in return?

5533 is a contemporary art space based in Istanbul. Founded by artists Nancy Atakan and Volkan Aslan, 5533 aims to create a platform where artists exchange ideas. Located in the Istanbul Textile Traders Market (İMÇ) in Unkapanı neighborhood, the space—formerly a shop—hosts workshops, screening, exhibitions, and performances on a sporadic basis. Each year 5533 invites a curator to work with the founders on a 12-month program—emphasizing two premises: collaborating with other artists/curators and operating without long-term plans.